PotashCorp’s Lima expansion is complete

PotashCorp has “successfully completed” the ammonia expansion at Lima, OH.

They “brought production back online” in late October, after a 7-week turnaround that started in August, according to their Q3 2015 earnings call last week.

10/29/2015: Q3: PotashCorp Reports 2015 Third-Quarter Earnings of $0.34 per Share. Slideshow, p20.PotashCorp’s accompanying Q3 2015 presentation described the Lima project as “on time and budget,” and said that we can “expect [an] incremental 100Kmt of ammonia capacity for 2016.”

I’d point out, however, that the expansion’s air permit cites a far larger capacity.

The presentation also reiterated PotashCorp’s previous statements about further nitrogen expansions in the US, saying that they are “reviewing other high-IRR brownfield projects; exploring other low-cost opportunities.”

While nobody’s said anything specific here, I assume we’re talking about the expansion at Geismar, where a potential ~380,000 mtpy of new ammonia capacity has already received air permits, but hasn’t been given the green light by management, yet.

I had understood that PotashCorp’s investment decision for the Geismar project might be made in October, but I’ve heard nothing yet.

I’m very curious to learn what their other “low-cost opportunities” might be …